TJFS: Digimon Tamers: Friendship Kindled
by Sentimental Star
Summary: **COMPLETE** Henry Wong has always been somewhat alone, the outcast, at West Shinjiku Elementary School. But the day after he meets Takato Matsuda can that change? --Takato-Jenrya FRIENDSHIP Series. NO Slash.--


Disclaimer: ::groans:: God, I hate these things. I do not, nor ever will, own Digimon, its characters, or its ideas. Toei and its affiliates do. Period.  
  
A/N: Hey, folks! This is my first Digimon Tamers fic. ::cheers:: As always, this is NOT yaoi or yuri, strictly FRIENDSHIP. This is just my rendition of what happened the day after Guilmon came to Takato's school and he met Henry. If you ask me, there is WAY too few Takato-Jenrya friendship fics. It also helps answer a question I'm sure at least a few other people besides me have: why is Henry (Jenrya) never seen with friends other than the Digimon Tamers like Takato and Jeri? Anyways, please R&R!  
  
  
  
Digimon Tamers: Friendship Kindled  
  
by Sentimental Star  
  
  
  
BRINNNG! The final bell announcing that school was out for the day rang as hundreds of cheering kids ran out of their classrooms and flooded the halls, ready to go home and play games, visit with friends, or maybe even do their homework assignments.  
  
Takato Matsuda sighed as he walked out of Miss Asajii's (his homeroom and first period teacher) literature class rather more slowly than others in the room and slumped against the wall next to the door for a moment. "I don't think Miss Asajii likes me very much," he muttered to himself, sweat- dropping as he recalled the essay his teacher had pulled him out of his last period class to write on "The Importance of Being Punctual." So he was late a few times . . . okay, more than a few times . . . but still---  
  
"Hey, Chumley (A/N: Is that spelled correctly?)!" his friend, Kazu, called to him. The other boy ran up to Takato.  
  
Takato smiled. "Hi, Kazu."  
  
"So, you want to come to the park with me and Kenta to play Digimon today?" Kazu wanted to know.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Takato caught sight of Jenrya "Henry" Wong (A/N: Yeah, I know his Japanese name is Jenrya Lee, but I just like this way better, squashing together the American and Japanese names.) walking by, whom he had met just yesterday. "Iie, gomen, I can't, but maybe tomorrow," Takato replied to Kazu, somewhat quickly. "Something came up."  
  
Kazu shrugged. "Sure, whatever." He grinned and hurried in the opposite direction, calling over his shoulder, "Ja na!"  
  
"Ja!" Takato called back. Then he ran after his new friend. "Chotto matte, Henry!" he yelled.  
  
Startled and surprised, the other Digimon Tamer stopped and turned around. He was even more surprised to see Takato Matsuda---although also a Tamer--- who was one of the most popular boys in his year, come running up to him. "K-Konnichi-wa, Takato," he managed to greet, very much astonished. "You remembered my name."  
  
Takato grinned. "Hai, and you remembered mine. I'm not THAT forgetful."  
  
Henry couldn't help ginning himself. Takato's easygoing and cheerful nature were contagious. Then he noticed the strange looks being shot their way.  
  
"Um, I think I have to go now---" Henry began, well aware that he wasn't exactly the most liked person in the school.  
  
But before he could finish, a larger boy, about a year or so older than them, shouldered his way through the rest of the students in the hall and shoved Henry aside without so much as an excuse me. He crashed into a wall and slowly pulled away, rubbing his smarting shoulder.  
  
Takato was angry, and rightly so, but his sudden concern for Henry dwarfed it. He started towards where his fellow Tamer had shakily stood up . . . only to be blocked by . . . "Joshua, please move, my friend needs help."  
  
Hearing Takato's reference to him as a friend, Henry snapped his head up and stared at the brown-haired, goggle-wearing boy who was presently glaring daggers at the sixth grade boy standing between them.  
  
"I'm only trying to help you, Takato," Joshua stated slyly.  
  
"If helping me means hurting my friend, then I think you'd better go look up the definition of 'help' in the dictionary again," Takato retorted coolly. "At the very least, I want no part in it."  
  
Anyone could easily tell that Takato had struck a nerve, but Joshua still plunged head-on, "Do you KNOW who he is?"  
  
"Jenrya Wong, so?"  
  
"He's the outcast! Nobody likes him or talks to him."  
  
"Well, congratulations, you're talking to someone who does!"  
  
Henry stayed put. Although he would have liked to have fled, he couldn't let Takato be hurt by Joshua. Slowly, he made his way to the other boy's side.  
  
As if he'd felt him move, Takato glanced to his side at his friend with a worried expression. "You okay, Henry?"  
  
Startled yet again, Henry nodded. "Hai, I'm fine." He looked at Joshua who was glaring angrily at him. "We were talking, so if you don't mind, we'd like to finish our conversation."  
  
"Who asked you, Chinese baka?!" Joshua snarled.  
  
Normally, Henry would have thought of some retort, but not today. Today had been a particularly trying day, and he had neither the strength nor the will.  
  
Fortunately, Takato saved him the trouble. "Take that back!" he exclaimed furiously. He'd seen the sharp hurt in Henry's gray eyes and it cut into him like a knife.  
  
"I won't now, nor ever will," Joshua sneered. His glare turned hostile and dangerous as it lighted on Henry.  
  
Noticing this, Takato gently pushed the other fifth grade boy behind him. "Then leave him alone," he responded firmly, loud enough so the entire hall could hear him (it had gone dead quiet as they watched the battle of wills between Takato and Joshua). "If you can't be bothered to be nice to Henry or to get to know him, then leave him alone. I don't care what you or other people think or say about him, I know for a fact he's a great guy and nothing can convince me otherwise. Now if you'll excuse us . . ." He gave Henry a pointed, but light, shove in the direction of a thinner part of the crowd of students that had gathered around them. Making sure he kept Henry in front of him, Takato weaved their way through the throng in the hall. Only when they had turned the corner out of sight did he relax his protective stance.  
  
"Jerk," he muttered, still fuming about the way Joshua had treated his friend. His scowl disappeared as he turned to Henry and was replaced by a look of concern. "Henry, are you really all right?" he pressed.  
  
"Hai, and gomen nasai, Takato," the other boy answered, bowing apologetically.  
  
Takato shook his head, smiling. "Why?"  
  
Henry was somewhat startled. "I got you involved in something I shouldn't have."  
  
"Momentai, Henry," Takato responded, grinning. "I get that all the time--- Joshua's my cousin, so don't worry about it. Strange how we're family and aren't a bit alike, ne?"  
  
That got an answering chuckle from Henry.  
  
Takato's smile broadened as he saw the cheerfulness in Henry light up the other boy's face and flush away the hurt, anger, and guilt. "You really ARE okay. Yokatta."  
  
Henry glanced at the other boy, astonished. Takato hardly knew him and yet, he'd stood up for him and was presently saying that he was glad he was okay. What Takato said next only succeeded in astonishing him even further:  
  
"I have a feeling we're going to be very good friends."  
  
Unable to think of any other reply, Henry started dropping into another bow. "Ari---"  
  
He was stopped by Takato placing a friendly hand on his shoulder and gently pushing him upright. The other Tamer whispered, "Starting now, tomodachi."  
  
  
  
The End!  
  
A/N: So how was it? It was shorter than most fics I write, but I think it's a good one. I may have this as part of a Friendship series focusing on Takato and Henry (Jenrya). They're my two favorite characters out of the entire third season, although Terriermon isn't too bad. ::grins:: If you have any ideas, please let me know! Well, R&R!  
  
Definition of Japanese terms:  
  
Iie: no  
  
Gomen/Gomen nasai: sorry/I'm sorry  
  
Ja na/Ja (boys): see ya; girls use ja ne/ja  
  
Chotto matte: wait up  
  
Konnichi-wa: good afternoon  
  
Hai: yes  
  
Baka: idiot  
  
Yokatta: I'm glad/I'm so glad  
  
Tomodachi: friend  
  
Ne: right/huh  
  
Please let me know if any of these are wrong!  
  
~SS 


End file.
